SEOUL, March 6 (Reuters) - South Korea has downgraded its foot-and-mouth disease level by one notch from the maximum level as no new cases have emerged for about a month, Seoul’s agriculture ministry said on Monday.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement that no new outbreaks have been reported for 21 days. The ministry said it will continue to disinfect farms to contain the virus and monitor the situation closely.

A first case of the disease this winter was confirmed on Feb. 6 and followed by several other confirmed cases, prompting the country to raise its alert status for the illness to the highest.